The invention relates to a fastening arrangement used for fastening a rear-side wall element of a drawer to a sliding bottom and a connection element.
Filed contemporaneously herewith are six United States patent applications, commonly assigned to Paul Hettich GmbH and Co.:
The claims, drawings and specification of each of the foregoing applications is hereby specifically incorporated by reference into this specification as if set forth verbatim herein
German Patent Document DE 197 26 466 A1 a fastening arrangement shows a rear wall of a drawer which can be connected with a side wall of the drawer using a corner connector. The side wall of the drawer, in turn, is connected with a slide rail of a pull-out slide using a profile rail. The profile rail has a bendable or hinge-type construction so that the drawer side wall can be folded into a position parallel to the drawer bottom. Although the sliding bottom and the side walls can be stored and transported relatively well, the mounting of the rear wall requires relatively high expenditures. First, a corner connector must be screwed to a projection on the profile rail and additionally be fitted into the side wall. Subsequently, the rear wall is mounted on the corner connector by means of additional fastening devices. In addition to the high mounting expenditures, this construction requires a large number of components, which increases the manufacturing costs. In addition, the corner connector is adapted specifically to the respective side walls and rear walls and can therefore not easily be used for drawers of other sizes.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fastening arrangement for a wall element which can be mounted as easily as possible and has only few components. In addition, the fastening arrangement should be usable with drawers and sliding bottoms of different constructions.
According to the invention, a fastening arrangement is provided to fasten a wall element on a sliding bottom and a connection element. The arrangement includes a connection element which is fixed at the sliding bottom, and another connection element mounted on the sliding bottom and which can be connected with a pull-out slide. The wall element is pivotally connected to the sliding bottom, and a catch device holds the wall element in a mounting position. This construction of the fastening arrangement permits a simple and fast mounting of the wall element which must only be pivoted to the upright mounting position and must be locked at the catch device. The catching sound signals that the desired mounting position has been reached. In addition, the necessity of a separate corner connector for the wall element is eliminated, which also reduces the manufacturing costs.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connection element is also pivotally connected, and includes a part of the catch device which engages the other part of the catch device in the mounting position. During the mounting, the catch device determines whether the connection element or the wall element is in the mounting position. Because a catch device can usually be released in one direction, the sequence of the folding-up can be determined according to the direction in which a higher stress is to be expected. Should stress occur in several directions, it is also possible to lock the catch device or the wall element.
If the wall element is to be formed by bending upward from the sliding bottom, it can be preassembled in a simple manner on the sliding bottom in order to then be bent into the mounting position. Also, no additional hinge elements are required.
A particularly diverse use of the connection element is made possible when a holding structure is used as a stop for the wall element in the mounting position. Additionally, holding elements to fasten side or front wall attachments may be added to a plastic holding structure in order to increase the height. The holding structure permits a multiple use of the connection element. An attachment is preferably provided on the holding structure. The attachment has a recess and the stop for the wall element. A stable and inexpensive fastening arrangement is obtained if the attachment is made of plastic and cast onto a metal section connected with the pull-out slide.
If the wall element has a bend on a lateral edge of the sliding bottom, the lateral edge can be used as a rest in order to bring the wall element into an essentially vertical mounting position. This reduces the stress on the material in the area of the bend. Preferably oblong openings are near the bending point to prevent unintentional bending of the wall during mounting.
According to a preferred embodiment, the wall is curved along its upper edge. A recess is formed on the curve, and adjacent to the recess is a catch tongue. This design permits a manufacturing of the wall element at reasonable cost from a metal sheet, on which only the necessary punchings and bends must be provided. In addition, the catch tongue engages the recess when in the mounted position.
A particularly high side and rear wall can be produced if the attachment is constructed in several parts and includes an upper part having a catch device. The mounting of an additional attachment part enables the attachment to be easily adapted to different types and heights of drawers.
Furthermore, according to the invention, a drawer is provided which has a sliding bottom held on both sides on one pull-out slide respectively, a front panel, a side wall and a rear wall, in which case the rear wall is held by means of two fastening arrangement according to one of the preceding claims.
In the following, the invention will be explained in detail including several embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.